A chiefly send-off

Citizen Staff Reports 09/27/12

Henrico Fire Chief Edwin Smith retired Sept. 14 and received a surprise send-off from Henrico firefighters and county officials on his last day. Smith was greeted in the parking lot of the county’s Public Safety building by several fire trucks, a ladder truck with an American flag flying and numerous members of the division, which he led for the past five years.

Smith spent 38 years with the division, beginning in May 1974 as a firefighter. He served in every suppression position as a firefighter and officer and advanced to serve as an inspector, investigator and later commander of the Fire Prevention section. A promotion to battalion chief and later chief of training for the division preceded his appointment to chief Aug. 18, 2007.

Smith is an active member of the International Association of Fire Chiefs, International Association of Black Professional Fire Fighters, Virginia Fire Chiefs Association and Central Virginia Fire and Arson Association. In 2010, he was appointed by Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell to the Virginia Fire Services Board.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 88, stopped at Richmond Raceway Aug. 8 in advance of the track’s NASCAR weekend in September. He was joined by five players from the Washington Redskins, who were in town for the team's training camp, which concluded Aug. 14. The day in Richmond gave Earnhardt and the Redskins players an opportunity to see how the athletes compete in their respective sports. > Read more.

The READ Center is a top-200 cause finalist in State Farm’s Neighborhood Assist program, making it eligible to earn a $25,000 grant to support adult literacy in the Richmond region. The 40 organizations from across the nation with the most votes will win grants.

The READ Center, based in Henrico, provides classroom instruction and one-to-one tutoring to adults with very low literacy. > Read more.

The host Glen Allen 14-year-old all-star baseball team won two of its first three games in pool play at the 14-year-old Babe Ruth World Series, which is it hosting at RF&P Stadium in Glen Allen. The team beat the Midwest Plains champions, 9-4, in its first game Aug. 10, then topped the Southwest champions, 7-3, Aug. 11 before dropping a 5-4 result to the Ohio Valley champions. > Read more.

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Innsbrook After Hours continues its 32nd year with Motown hitmakers The Temptations and The Four Tops. Gates open at 5 p.m. Show begins at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $20. Net proceeds from the concert series benefit the American Constitution Spirit Foundation and the Innsbrook Foundation. Rain or shine. For tickets and more information, call the IAH Hotline at 423-1779 or visit http://www.innsbrookafterhours.com.
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